Grandpa's Two-Seat Bicycle

Ying woke the next morning to the smell of long noodles with eggs. Ying’s mother had cooked them special for Grandpa Jong.
Grandpa Jong grabbed his chopsticks and grabbed a clump of long noodles. He slurped each bite into his mouth as he ate.
“Father, don’t play with your food.”
“My sweet daughter Tien, you know it is bad luck to cut long noodles, so I will not use my teeth to make them short until the whole noodle is on my tongue.”
“You know that’s just a silly superstition.”
“Maybe so. Maybe not.”
Grandpa Jong was still slurping his long noodles when Ying came into the kitchen for breakfast. His mother had fixed him scrambled eggs and tea. He quickly finished his breakfast and went to school. He was in such a hurry that he forgot to wish his Grandpa Jong a happy birthday.
“Oh well, I hope he is not mad at me,” sighed Ying as he walked to school.
As Ying studied at school, Grandpa Jong was enjoying his birthday with his daughter and his wife. They shared a kettle of chamomile tea with honey.
“Daddy, what are you going to do for your birthday?”
“I was planning on going to the tea house and play chess with Mr. Li.”
“Why not spend your birthday with mom?”
“Tien, I have to see him the rest of the year. If he wants to play chess with Pu Li, go ahead and let him be.”
“Mother.”
“It’s okay, dear.”
Grandpa Jong winked at Grandma Mei and kissed her gently on the cheek.
“That’s the secret of a good marriage, Tien.”
“What is? Spending holidays apart?”
“No, treating every day as a holiday together.” Grandpa Jong put on his sweater and hat and walked down to Yum Cha, where Mr. Li was waiting for him.
“Happy birthday old Jong. I got something special to show you.”
“What?”
Mr. Li stuck up his hand and motioned to Grandpa Jong to come along with a single finger. Mr. Li grinned slyly as Grandpa Jong followed him to the back of the store. Pu Li showed his old friend Jong the bicycle built for two.
“It’s a beauty,” said Jong.
“It’s yours.”
“Mine? What for?”
“I’m repaying my Guanxi,” said Mr. Li.
“What Guanxi is that?”
“You’ve been very helpful lately and I wanted to show you my appreciation, so I built this bicycle just for you. Do you remember when we used to ride our bicycles through Beijing?”
“How can I forget? Those were great times.”
“Do you want to take a ride?” asked Mr. Li.
“Yes.”
“Our friendship is stronger than a knot and you don’t have to give me a gift,” said Grandpa Jong.
“You say I don’t have to, but I say I must, because you are my best friend and I must continue to build our friendship for the rest of my life.”
“Okay then. Let’s go for a ride.”
Pu Li drove the bike as Grandpa Jong rode on the bike – the birthday passenger. They carved a path through the crowded city streets and towards the countryside. The bike moved effortlessly as the two men worked the pedals. They returned to Yum Cha and parked it where Ying and Mr. Li and parked it before.
“That is a wonderful bike. Where did you get it?” asked Grandpa Jong.
“I cut two bikes and welded them together, then I built the rest from scraps.”
“I’m always amazed at what you do with your hands, Pu.”
Grandpa Jong joined Mr. Li for a pot of green tea and a few games of Chess. Often, Mr. Li would get up from the table and serve customers. Sometimes, Grandpa Jong would help him, collecting dishes and wiping tables with a clean washcloth for new customers.
“I think I’m going to surprise my grandson at school,” said Grandpa Jong.
“I think that is a good idea,” said Mr. Li.
Grandpa Jong went out back and climbed on his new bicycle. He rode it to Ying’s school, arriving there just before school let out. He leaned the bicycle against the swing set and waited for Ying.
When the final school bell rang, children came outside and gathered around Grandpa Jong and his two-seat bicycle. Ying came outside and saw his grandfather.
“Is that your bicycle, Grandpa?” he asked.
“It sure is. Do you want to take a ride?”
Ying shook his head no. It was embarrassing to be the center of attention for Ying.
“If you don’t ride home with me, I’ll have to ride home alone. Do you know how silly I felt when I biked here to see you?”
Ying shook his head.
“I guess I could ask someone else,” said Grandpa Jong. Every one of the children reached a hand towards Grandpa, hoping to be picked for the ride home. Grandpa Jong only wanted one particular passenger.
“Are you sure?” said Grandpa. He got on the bicycle and began to ride it around the playground. He did look rather silly riding a bicycle built for two alone.
Finally, Ying secured his backpack and held out a hand towards Grandpa Jong. Grandpa Jong stopped the bike as Ying got on.and away they went. Grandpa Jong waved at the children on the playground as they rode away.
“Do you like to go fast?” asked Grandpa Jong.
“Not really.”
“That’s too bad, Ying. You’re taking one of the most fun parts out of riding a bicycle.”
“It’s scary sometimes,” said Ying.
“Then we will only go as fast as you like.”
They biked through the city streets and passed right by Ying Liu and Grandpa Jong’s house.
“Where are we going?” asked Ying.
“You’ll see,” said Grandpa Jong.
Grandpa Jong drove the bicycle through the old hutongs – narrow alleys lined with small houses and apartments. As they rode along, they wove through the traffic of walking people.
At the end of one hutong, a little grocery market sat. Grandpa Jong got off the bike and went inside, leaving Ying to keep watch. When he returned, he was carrying two cups of bubble tea and a loaf of bread.
“Which bubble tea do you want, honeydew or watermelon?”
“What is the loaf of bread for?” asked Ying.
“It’s for later. Which do you want?”
“Honeydew.”
They sat on the curb and drank their bubble tea. The gummy balls of tapioca traveled through the straw and into Ying’s mouth. He chewed them as he enjoyed the icy flavor of his frozen bubble tea.
“Let’s go up the hill,” said Grandpa Jong.
“Okay.”
As they biked uphill, they rose out of their seats to push the bicycle up the hill with pedal power. When they reached the top of the hill, Grandpa Jong pedaled a little more, then moved his legs outward, letting the bicycle coast down the hill.
“Whee-Whee-Whee!” he shouted as the bike sped downhill. Ying stood up on his pedals and peered over Grandpa Jong’s left shoulder. The Imperial Garden and Palace Museum were just ahead. It was one of Ying’s favorite places. Ying looked up at the bell wall and pagoda at the top of the wall as they rode past Palace Museum.
“Can we stop at the Palace Museum?”
“I have a surprise for you.”
Ying rode along, waiting patiently for his surprise. They turned onto Yiyang road, which wound gently through the hills. Poplars and Cypresses lined the country road they rode on. Some were colored in yellow-gold and others were burning-red. Grandpa Jong turned left as the road forked and climbed a hill. A sign standing at the side of the road said ‘Baiwangshan Station,’ which means Hundred Looks Hill.
At the end of the road stood a small pagoda. Grandpa Jong and Ying parked the two-seat bicycle at the bike rack and hiked up the trail to a clearing.
“This is your surprise.”
“A pond?”
“Not just any pond. This is where I used to fish when I was growing up,” said Grandpa Jong.
“How can we catch fish without fishing poles or bait?” asked Ying.
“We’re not going to catch fish – we’re going to feed them.”
“I see now. That’s what the loaf of bread is for?”
Grandpa Jong nodded. As they tossed pieces of bread into the water, large carp came to the surface and gobbled it up. The fish crowded along the shore, fighting for each piece. Ying aimed each toss, feeding the smaller fish. He smiled whenever the fish he aimed for got a chance to eat.
“That was a good surprise, Grandpa.”
“I have another surprise,” said Grandpa Jong. They went back to the pagoda and went inside. At the back of the pagoda sat a small observation deck.
“This is another good surprise,” said Ying.
Ying leaned against the rock wall at the edge of the observation deck. Autumn had just begun and the trees were changing colors. There were many Poplar trees scattered through the valley. Their large round leaves were crimson red. They stood out next to the dark green of the Pines and Cypress trees. Smoke shrubs encircled the deck, their light purple flowers showing up brightly against the dark red and green of the other trees.
“See that village down there? That’s where Mr. Li and I grew up.”
“Did you come to Baiwangshan a lot?”
“Almost every weekend. Back then, nobody knew about Baiwangshan. There were no paved trails or roads and no pagoda, either.”
“It would be a nice place to grow up.”
“It was certainly nothing like living in the city.”
“Why did you move to the city?”
“We didn’t have a choice. Your Grandma Mei was a dancer for the Ballet and I worked for the City Water Department. Your mother was born, so we decided to live in Beijing”
“You have a choice now, though.”
“Your Grandmother and I choose to be close to you and your sister.”
“I’m glad for that,” said Ying.
As they walked back to the bike, Ying did something he had not done in a long time. He reached his hand out and put it in his Grandfather’s hand. Grandpa Jong’s hand was cold and rough. Grandpa Jong smiled as he wrapped his hand around Ying’s hand and held it. The coldness of Grandpa’s hand reminded Ying that winter would be here soon.
“Can I go fishing with you sometime?” asked Ying.
“Any time you want,” answered Grandpa Jong.
They got on the Grandpa Jong’s two-seat bicycle and coasted down Yiyang road and into downtown Beijing. Grandpa Jong cleverly steered the bike through empty streets and stopped in front of the Liu house.
“Good evening everyone! We’re home!” Ying called through the front door. Lien-Hua was studying math with Father while Mother was frying bok choy and chicken in the wok. Grandpa Jong and Ying had arrived just in time for another birthday dinner for Grandpa.